Monday, September 8, 1992.
The meeting room at ZAGE headquarters was filled with the company's key leaders. Zaboru stood at the front, flanked by Yumi, his reliable assistant, as he prepared to explain the financial structure and launch strategy for the ZGB handheld.
"Alright, everyone," Zaboru began, his tone focused but upbeat. "Today, I want to walk you through the production costs and pricing strategy for our ZGB handheld and its games. Sayuri-san has already reviewed the financial breakdown for her department, but I'd like to share the big picture with you all."
Yumi handed out neatly organized documents to each attendee, and Zaboru read aloud from his copy. "Our production cost per ZGB unit is around 4,000 yen. We'll be selling it wholesale for 7,500 yen, with a suggested retail price of no more than 9,500 yen. Each unit will include three pairs of Miyagi-manufactured Z-Batteries. These batteries will cost 250 yen per pair wholesale, with a suggested retail price of 400 yen per pair."
He paused, then added with a smile, "I want this handheld to be affordable. well so most people can afford this" Zaboru then thought back to his previous life, vividly recalling how, as a child, his parents refused to buy him a Game Boy. They believed it was redundant since the family already had a home console. That lingering sense of disappointment stuck with him for years. He remembered watching his friends play Pokémon, only able to watch longingly and occasionally borrow their Game Boy for a few minutes. It was frustrating and disheartening, and those small moments left a deep impact on him. Now, as a creator and CEO in his new life, he was determined to ensure other kids wouldn't have to feel that same sense of exclusion or longing. This handheld had to be something everyone could access. For Zaboru, money has never been the driving force. What truly matters to him is realizing his vision—reviving and revolutionizing the video game industry. His dream is always to make gaming accessible, inspiring, and innovative once again, for everyone regardless of age or background.
"As for the games," he continued, "each title costs around 1,800 yen to produce. We'll sell them to retailers for about 4,500 yen, with a cap retail price of 6,500 yen. Sayuri-san, does this pricing plan work for our budget?"
Sayuri adjusted her glasses and gave a firm nod. "Honestly, Boss, this is as low as we can go while keeping things healthy for the company. Any lower and it starts hurting our bottom line. But yes, as proposed, we're in the safe zone."
Zaboru nodded and then turned to Shinsuke. "Shin-san, have you coordinated with the retailers and Sora Distribution to ensure we're ready for the 19th?"
Shinsuke gave a confident smile. "Absolutely, Boss. I've already spoken with Tatsuo over at Sora Distribution. Everything's proceeding as usual, and our retail contacts across Japan are prepped and informed. I'm confident that by the release date, all of our trusted retail partners will have the ZGB stocked and ready for sale," Shinsuke said with confidence
"Great job, as always," Zaboru said with a nod. "As expected from you, Shinsuke-san."
He continued, "Regarding ZEPS, this month we're only releasing two in-house titles Dragon Quest 2 and Fist Of Northstar, but four third-party developers are also launching their own games. That puts us at six total releases, and with our growing third-party ecosystem, I think it's time we focus more on quality. We can scale down our ZEPS releases to 2–3 titles per month and limit ZAGE Game Boy releases to 1–2 titles. That way, we can dedicate more time to refining each game while also giving third-party developers room to shine," Zaboru said. Zanichi let out a thoughtful sigh, realizing once again how different his son was from the average executive. Zaboru didn't view third-party developers as competition or a threat to profits—instead, he saw them as collaborators, vital contributors to a vibrant and thriving gaming ecosystem. Though a little bit naive Zanichi couldn't help but feel proud not just of his boss, but of his son as a person.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Shinsuke added, "As for the flyers, we've outsourced the distribution. They'll be hitting the streets right after the TV ad campaign starts, just as you instructed."
"Perfect," Zaboru said. "That's all for today's meeting. Let's get back to work."
As the room emptied, Zaboru took a moment to call James Yoel in the U.S. "Hey James, I've got a surprise for you. Can you fly to Japan by the 14th? Well let's say that I have a surprise for you."
James on the call says "Surprise!? okay then Zaboru i definitely came! on 14th sept wait for me!"
With that ZGB is almost close to release!
To be continued...
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